4 May 2018 - Friday

4 May 2018 - Friday

Oh, what a day we have had today!  It was filled with exciting events and conversations.  Mom and I were both up at the usual time of 4:45am and ready to begin the day.  After our morning prayers and scripture reading together, I took my morning 3 mile walk to the highway.  It was chilly and so peaceful as I watched the sky light up with the morning sunrise.  I am afraid that I might be taking too many morning pictures but this is another one I had to capture;

The sun just peeking over Martin's Cove

We drove to Martin's Cove early to see if we could be of any assistance with the trek leader training.  Mom had the opening prayer and I had the closing prayer so we wanted to be ready to go.  Mom's prayer came right after the missionaries sang "Hallowed Ground" to the leaders.  I think that was the hardest thing anyone had to do today, including the seven mile trek these leaders had to go on!

As we got to the trek center, we got to meet a few of the leaders that were here for training.  Then we sang the song and mom gave the prayer.and we were off to the day's assignments before I needed to return around 4:00pm for the closing prayer.  We worked in the Visitors' Center and met some wonderful people.

Lot's of display tables filled with trek ideas

The 200 trek leaders coming back from the 7 mile experience

A picture right before I was called to give the prayer.

At the Visitors's Center, Mom first saw this couple with another lady come into the front yard of the center and went to greet them.  One of the ladies said they were just passing through and only had a few minutes to see the center.  I joined with them and got to talking to the man.  It turns out he was the secretary to Bishop Burton of the Presiding Bishopric back in the 1990's and he was here when the Church negotiated the purchase of the property from the Sun family.  They spent about 20 minutes in the center and then watched a movie we will show you when you come. 

Then, while the secretary was in the movie, I went out to meet another visitor who was by himself and began talking to him.  (I never did get back with the secretary to ask him as many questions as I could!)  The gentleman that I went out to meet wasn't real free with information, at first, but he had a little time to spend there.  I showed him the sites around the center and we had the most wonderful conversation after he warmed up to me!  He was married to a lady who wanted nothing to do with the church.  She passed away about 9 years ago and he got back into the church and is serving as what was previously referred to as the High Priest Group leader.

He was on the internet about two years ago and began a correspondence with a lady in China who was not a member of the Church.  His Bishop tried to discourage him from internet dating but somehow he got to the point of going to China to meet her.  She was a lawyer in China fluent in Mandarin and speaks little English, and he is a bank executive in Wyoming.   They kept corresponding and she later came to America where she is on a temporary visa.  She will qualify to become a citizen next year.  

They decided to get married in Las Vegas about 18 months ago.  They were there on the Las Vegas Strip where there are lots of wedding chapels.  Each chapel has hawkers trying to get people to use their services at their chapels.  He told me that they were trying to decide which one to use when a black man handed them a flyer to the chapel he represented.  They took the flyer and then looked around and he was gone.  They considered the flyer and then went in to the chapel.  It was the only chapel that could marry them in her native language.

A few months later they were walking on temple square and were approached by two sister missionaries, and you guessed it, one spoke Mandarin!  The sisters asked if they had any questions and the new wife did.  She was taught in her language and baptized a few weeks later.  She still owns a condo in China, that they visit regularly, and she wants to bring her mother and sister to the United States when she is granted citizenship.  

One year later they were sealed in the Draper Temple.  When he called the temple to arrange the sealing, he somehow was connected directly to the recorders office.  He asked him if they could be sealed in the Mandarin language.  The recorder said they could do that.  He wasn't in the Draper Temple district, but just chose that temple because his sister lived nearby.  

A day before the sealing a sister called him to let him know the temple could not do the sealing in Mandarin language.  He told her that the recorder said they could!  This sister was mistaken.  She was not aware of that capability, and she was not aware that one of the sealers had been the president of the Hong Kong Temple.  The sealing was performed in both Mandarin and English, two separate sessions on that day.  The sealer told him, and the Spirit confirmed to me, that with President Nelson's connections with Chinese leadership, he could be a key player in the opening of China for the Gospel to be preached.

Then mom and I went over to the Trek Center and listened to the last 45 minutes of the leader training, and I gave the closing prayer and blessed the food that had been prepared for these leaders.  All the senior missionaries were invited to the dinner and asked to sit with these trek leaders and answer any questions.  Mom and I sat with two couples who will be Ma's and Pa's.  We got to answer a few questions and then we asked about them and their backgrounds.  

The two couples we sat with at dinner

Both couples were so much fun to get to know!  The couple on the right will be coming back with a group of 40 on June 4th.  The couple on the left come back with a group of 400 on July 24th.  Their callings in their wards and stakes back home are from left to right, Humanitarian leader, High Council, YM President, YW Secretary.  These couples and individuals are all very special!

The High Councilor is in the Stake that includes, President Nelson, Elder Bednar, Sister Bingham, (General RS President), Sheri Dew,  and several of President Eyring's children.  And Sister Wendy Nelson is best friends with Sister Dew, who lives three doors down from President Nelson!  Just a quick question, how would you like to be the High Council speaker when any of these leaders happen to attend their own wards?

Inside Fort Seminoe

My last story of an amazing day involves this chest on top of this organ.  When Fort Seminoe was replicated for the trekkers experience, the Church worked with a local historian/museum curator to make this experience as authentic as possible.  The goods and treasures of the Hunt and Hodgett's companies were unloaded here and stored for the winter to provide wagon space for those too sick and frozen to walk to Salt Lake.  

The curator went to the church history warehouse and was pretty much free to choose period pieces that may have been on either wagon company.  He saw a trunk similar to this one sitting on top the organ.  He could not easily choose this one or the other one not pictured.  He choose the one not pictured and was getting ready to take it off the shelf when the church history person at Salt Lake stopped him.  The other trunk similar to this one was the trunk Joseph Smith used to hide the gold plates....

With the events of today, we are even more excited about the summer season.  These leaders, and the trekkers they bring with them, have been spiritually prepared to come and experience this sacred area.  We now get to help activate these spiritual preparations that they may not be fully aware of!

What a wonderful day FULL of tender mercies!  We are so grateful to be here and to be involved with so many wonderful people!  We are so excited to have you come and see us here!  We love you!

Oh, and by the way, I hit "green" status again today!